Stateside HTC Evo 4G hands-on

Look no further Wall-E, the Evo is here. Made exclusively for Sprint, HTC's Evo is the first Android 2.1 phone in the US supported by Sprint’s new 4G high-speed WiMAX network.

Speaking at the launch event in New York, which Pocket-lint attended, Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel, said that “the Evo will bring 4G to life.” But as it runs on both 3G and 4G networks and loads websites with Adobe Flash in seconds, Hesse also made the bold claim that it’s “arguably the best 3G device out there.”

The speed of the 4G phone means downloading music, pictures, streaming videos and watching power point presentations in “seconds not minutes,” says Hesse. And I can safely say that it allows you to create, stream and watch video in ways that surpass any other phone I’ve played with.

We first covered HTC’s Evo here, but now we’ve been able to handle the impressive multimedia superphone, complete with a large 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 pixel resolution display, wide keypad for easy text messaging and dual cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with a HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

As the workforce becomes more mobile, real time video conferencing and telepresence capabilities will become a standard. The Evo allows you to take an entire multimedia experience on the go, whether its a power-point presentation or a rock concert, and share it with anyone via 4G, a WiFi connection or an HDMI cable hookup. The HDMI port on the bottom of the phone means you’ll be able to plug it straight into your TV to watch YouTube, Hulu, home videos or whatever you please. (although a HDMI cable isn't included). It does have a cute, supportive kickstand though, to make watching movies easy and handsfree.

It also allows for simultaneous voice and data usage. Imagine watching a sports game on the device while chatting with your buddies about it on video chat at the same time. You may think twice about taking your phone to the bathroom from now on.

With more contrast, more color and just better overall functionality, the Evo is like the mini iPad you didn’t even know you wanted. And while the iPad may not fit into your back pocket, the Evo does.

One of the coolest features of the new handset is its built-in mobile hotspot functionality, which allows up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to its 4G network. This means any Wi-Fi enabled device like your laptop, gaming device, iPad or iPhone can all be used on the 4G network. And for a mere cell phone? That's not just unique, it’s astounding.

With Android 2.1, users can access over 35,000 apps including Google Goggles, which allows a user to analyze a photo of anything from books to bars to art in a visual search engine. For example, you show the Evo a photo of a white-spiraled museum and in a matter of seconds it will announce, “Guggenheim, NYC".

The HTC Evo will be available in the states June 4, 2010 for $199, with a new, two-year Sprint contract. The price doesn't include one of Sprint's "Everything Data" bundles, though, which start at $69 a month for 450 voice minutes plus unlimited data and texts.

It's expected that the UK edition of the phone will be unveiled in the country for the first time this Friday. Needless to say that Pocket-lint will give you an update then...